By NoGreeAfrica News Desk
The European Union has signed an additional 45 million euro support package for Nigeria’s digital economy, deepening cooperation between both sides under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
According to the European External Action Service (EEAS), the agreement was signed at the EU-Nigeria Digital Open Day in Brussels by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, and the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela.
The EEAS said the new funding would complete the EU Digital Economy Package for Nigeria and further support digital-sector cooperation between Nigeria and the European Union.
The EU described Global Gateway as its strategy for building “smart, clean and secure” links in areas such as digital, energy and transport, while also strengthening health, education and research systems through partnerships.
The latest funding comes at a time Nigeria is pushing to expand broadband access, digital public infrastructure, innovation and technology-led job creation. While the EEAS statement did not spell out all project components in the excerpt reviewed, the investment signals continued European interest in shaping Nigeria’s digital transition through partnership finance and policy engagement.
The development also highlights the growing competition among global actors over Africa’s digital future, with infrastructure, data systems, skills and connectivity increasingly becoming part of wider geopolitical and economic influence. This is an inference from the EU’s stated Global Gateway strategy and the broader trend identified by UNCTAD on investment in the digital economy.
For Nigeria, the immediate question is whether such external digital financing will translate into stronger local capacity, wider access and long-term digital sovereignty rather than simple dependence on foreign-backed systems and platforms. That is an analytical framing, not a direct quote from the EU statement.
